70% of Video Watchers Use 2-3 Devices to View Content, 10% Over 6: Kaltura

Video platforms need to be able to seamlessly address the use of multiple device types, said a Wednesday Kaltura report, saying 70% of video watchers use two or three devices to view content, and 10% use more than six. TV was the most popular viewing source for 62% of respondents: Smart TVs were the top way to watch content for 38% of respondents vs. set-top boxes at 25%, it said.

Viewing behavior varied widely in the Q1 survey of 500 20-45-year-olds in the U.S., U.K., Brazil and India. In Brazil, 85% of survey respondents use smart TVs vs. less than 30% in the U.S. Over 30% of U.S. viewers listed a streaming player as the primary way they watch TV. India had the highest use of mobile devices for video viewing: 39% vs. 24% in the U.S.

Despite Netflix’s global dominance, having passed the 200 million subscriber mark earlier this year, “the streaming wars are likely to have multiple winners,” said the report, listing Netflix as the third most popular streaming service in India behind YouTube TV and pay TV. In the U.S., 65% of respondents listed Netflix as among the most watched, followed by Amazon Prime Video and Hulu in a second-place tie at 37%, Disney+ (34%), pay TV (27%), YouTube TV (24%), Roku (22%), HBO Max (19%), other (17%) and Apple TV (11%).

Some 62% of respondents said they use three or more streaming services, 23% used two and 15% one; 15% reported using five or more, 14% four or more, it said. On how they find new content, 67% said social media, 65% via family and friends, 57% through service provider recommendations, 28% via online search, 18% from entertainment sites, 12% from general news and 9% from content websites such as IMDb.

About 83% said they're frustrated with content discovery. More than half cited lack of relevant content on specific platforms, finding new content, having to browse multiple sources to find content, now knowing where to find content and switching between platforms. Sixty percent of women, 52% of men cited lack of auto-play for the next episode as a frustration.

Among important features for streaming services to have, 61% chose the ability to continue watching from the same spot in a show, 54% said find new content fast, 53% said a smooth transition between multiple devices, 46% wanted entertainment apps beyond TV streaming, 43% wanted to skip the intro, 41% said different user profiles and 34% wanted to pause live TV and have a mix of live and premium content channels, such as sports. Thirty percent said combining content from different sources was the most important feature. Some 79% wanted one bill for pay TV and streaming apps.

Price, at 61%, was by far the top reason for leaving a TV service, said the report. Other reasons were inability to find content (15%), bad video quality (12%) and device incompatibility (6%). Sixty-four percent felt they were getting their money’s worth; 24% thought they were paying too much. MVPDs have an opportunity to add value for subscribers by blending streaming services into their offerings and “modernizing” services to meet consumer expectations, said Kaltura.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents were paying for two or more content services. About 12% were paying less than $10 monthly for video content, and 18% were paying over $80 monthly for content services. In the U.S., 24% reported spending over $80; 28%, $40-$79; 21%, $25-$39; 24%, $10-$24; and 7% under $10.